LAPT Rosario: Levels 17-22 updates (10,000-20,000-2,000)

5:48pm: Final table setWith the final table set, the remaining players are taking a break for the night and will return tomorrow to determine the champion. A full wrap of the day is on the way.

5:23pm: Gustavo Flessak eliminated in 9th place, final table setGustavo Flessak open-shoved for about 240,000 with K♥T♣ and Roberto Bianchi called on the button with pocket sevens. Bianchi all but sealed Flessak's elimination when he hit a set the A♥9♦7♣ flop. Flessak could only survive with running straight cards, the turn and river falling the 2♠ and the K♠ to send him home on the final table bubble.

With that, we have our final table of eight. Stay tuned for a full wrap.

5:17pm: Back in actionCards are back in the air. One more elimination before we call it a night.

5:05pm: Unofficial final table timeWith nine players remaining, the tournament has been reduced to one table. After one more elimination, we'll break for the night.

4:58pm: Terrence Chan eliminated in tenth placeTerrence Chan, still stung from the three-outer, open-shoved with eights and got snap-called by Matthias Habernig's tens. The board ran out K♦T♠Q♠K♥3♥ and Chan's run ended for a $17,050 cash.

4:35pm: William Ross like-a the deuceWilliam Ross, short-stacked for most of the last 30 minutes has been shoving in time and again. He just did it again, this time with 2♦J♣. Terrence Chan called for around half his stack with A♥J♦. The board ran out Q♣6♥3♦K♠2♠.

Chan took it in stride--he's faced enough river three-outers in his life to be numb to it--but it's left him in a precarious position. From our vangtake point, it looks like Chan has about ten big blinds. Rosse, meanwhile is up to 220,000.

4:05pm: BLINDS 8,000-16,000-2,000

3:50pm: Players take a 15-minute break

3:47pm: Luis Alberto Bonnet eliminated in 11th place Luis Bonnet moved all-in for 93,000 from UTG, Bolivar Palacios flat-called, and Roberto Bianchi made it a party of three, coming in from the big blind. Bianchi and Palacios checked the A♣7♣3♥ flop. When the 6♥ came on the turn, Bianchi bet 150,000 and Palacios made the call. Bianchi checked dark before the 2♣ hit the river and Palacios checked behind.

Palacios showed A♥K♥, but Bianchi flopped two pair with A♠3♣. Bonnet left the table without showing his cards, but Daniel Ades reached out and flipped them over before the dealer could pull them into the muck, showing the table Bonnet's pocket tens.

Bianchi is up to 1.7 million.

3:35pm: Jose Guevara ourdrawn, eliminated in 12th placeJose Guevara just got his chips in in a great spot with K♠J♠ up against Martin Sansour's K♥T♥. The A♣K♦2♣ flop looked great, but the T♥ on the turn was enough to send Guevara packing with $14,700.

3:26pm: Branimir Brunovic eliminated in 13th place Branimir Brunovic open-shoved for his last 150,000 and Roberto Bianchi made the call from the big blind. The Croatian's A♣K♣ couldn't outrun Bianchi's pocket tens on the 7♠6♥2♥J♣J♥ board and he hit the rail in 13th place.

Bianchi is up to 1.35 million.

3:13pm: Mario Niciforo eliminated in 14th placeDown to 120,000, Mario Niciforo moved all-in pre-flop and Roberto Bianchi made the call. Niciforo's A♣8♥ did not improve against Bianchi's 6♠6♦, the board running out K♣5♥4♦2♣4♠. Niciforo collected $12,350 for his finish while Bianchi was the first player to cross the seven-figure mark, rocketing up to 1,180,000.

3:09pm: Francisco de Belaustegui eliminatedHe started the day as the chip leader and now is gone. Francisco de Belaustegui got A♦T♦ all-in pre-flop against Martin Sansour's pocket jacks. The board ran out 7♠6♠Q♥2♦9♦ and it's a $10,000 payday for the Argentinian.

2:58pm: Jose "Indio" Guevara doubles through Francisco de BelausteguiDown to only a few big blinds, Jose Guevara staked the remainder of his chips on 7♠8♠, going up against Francisco de Balaustegui's A♥K♠. Guevara couldn't have asked for a better flop, coming down 7♣6♠5♠. The turn was the J♣ and the 9♠ on the river made him a straight flush. Guevara is still short, but hanging on in his new seat at the TV table.

2:52pm: William Ross doubles through Francisco de BelausteguiWilliam Ross moved all-in for 159,000 with A♣A♠ and got a call from Francisco e Balaustegui with K♠Q♠. Although de Belustegui flopped a queen, giving him a bit of a sweat, the aces held and he doubled to 360,000.

2:44pm: BLINDS 6,000/12,000-1,000

2:40pm: Terrence Chan cut in halfNico Fierro came in for a raise to 25,000 and immediately faced a re-raise to 110,000 from Terrence Chan. Martin Sansour then four-bet to 210,000 and all-in. Fierro got out of the way, bbut Chan was sort of stuck. The math worked quickly in his head, Chan called with A♥Q♣. Sansour was ahead with K♠K♦. The flop was some help to Chan, giving him the wheel draw with 2♠4♠3♣. The turn and river, however, bricked and Chan was cut down to less than 200,000. Sansour, meanwhile is up over the 400,000 mark.

2:30pm: Horatio Buffoni bounced in 16th placeTerrence Chan came in for a raise and Horatio Buffoni moved all-in with his short stack. It wasn't enough of a raise for Chan to fold, so he called with 6♥7♥. Up against A♣Q♥, Chan flopped a gutshot with 5♠3♥5♦. He turned the straight with the 4♠ and Buffoni was sent out in 16th place for $10,000.

2:15pm: Angel Guillen eliminated in 17th placeMexico's Angel Guillen, our last remaining Team PokerStars Pro in the field, just found himself on the wrong end of a coinflip. He moved all-in with pocket fours and was called by Nico Fierro with A♦Q♥. Fierro flopped top two pair on the A♥Q♣T♣J♣3♦ board and Guillen was down to the felt, exiting in 17th place.

With Guillen's elimination, we're down to two eight-handed tables.

2:07pm: Matias Ruzzi eliminated in 18th placeOne hand after doubling up Matthias Habernig, Matias Ruzzi open-shoved for his last 79,000 with Q♠2♠ and Gustavo Flessak called with A♠K♣. The K♦K♠3♣ flop left him drawing only to running spades. The T♦ on the turn sealed his elimination and the meaningless A♥ peeled off on the river. Flessak increased his stack to 245,000 while Ruzzi headed for the payout desk.

2:05pm: Matias vs. MatthiasA flurry of pre-flop raises and reraises ended up with Matthias Habernig all-in with pocket nines against Matias Ruzzi's pocket eights. The nines held up on the K♣J♠2♥3♣A♣ board and Habernig doubled to 430,000, leaving Ruzzi on only eight big blinds.

2:01pm: Guevara crippledJose Guevara shoved in his stack with Q♥T♣ and Horacio Buffoni woke up in the blinds with A♦8♦. Guevara had Buffoni covered, but not by much. Guevara was fortunate enough to flop a ten, but Buffoni ran out a flush. Guevara is now on life support.

2:00pm: Freddy Tores out in 19thIt was a battle of the blinds between Bolivar Palacios and Freddy Tores. With Tores already short-stacked, the money was bound to go in. Too bad for Tores that he held 9♥9♣ to Palacios' T♦T♠. The board, 3♦6♥Q♦K♦Q♥ was no help, and Torres went out in 19th for $8,820.

1:49pm: Gerardo Godinez Estrada eliminated in 20th placeGerardo Estrada opened for 25,000 from middle position and Robero Bianchi made the call from the big blind. Bianchi checked the 7♥4♠3♥ flop over to Estrada, who bet 30,000. Bianchi raised to 80,000, Estrada moved all-in, and Bianchi called.

Bianchi turned over middle set with 4♣4♦ while Estrada tabled A♦7♠ for top pair, top kicker. The 7♠ on the turn improved both players' hands, Estrada to trips and Biachi to fours full. Estrada needed an ace or a seven on the river, but missed, the 6♠ landing to an excited "VAMOOOO!" from Bianchi and his supporters.

Estrada earned $8,820 for his finish while Bianchi moved into the chip lead with 740,000.

1:43pm: Fresh and minty chip countsWe got a full count of all the chips during the break. You can find them on our LAPT chip counts page.

1:34pm: BLINDS 5,000-10,000-1,000

1:18pm: DescansoOur 20 remaining players are on a 15-minute break.

1:06pm: Carlos Augusto Perez Herrera eliminated in ugly fashionCarlos Augusto Perez Herrera came in for a raise to 20,000 from the button and Roberto Bianchi almost immediately re-raised to 52,000. Herrera almost immediately moved all-in. The call wasn't going to cost Bianchi much more than 60,000 more, but he tanked for several minutes before calling with K♦T♠. Herrera held J♣J♦. The flop served Herrera wel: A♣T♣8♦. The turn was even better, the 5♣ taking away one of Bianchi's three outs. That left two kings in the deck that could send Herrera to the rail. It was the K♠ on the river. Bianchi screamed, Herrera dropped his head, and the grand FInal wad down to 20 players. Herrera earns $8,820 for his finish.

1:05pm: What's at stake, in moving pictures

12:47pm: Hector Balsano eliminated in 22nd place Luis Bonnet opened for 24,000 from UTG+1 and Hector Balsano three-bet to 85,000 from middle position. The action folded around to Mario Niciforo in the small blind, who tanked for about a minute before moving all-in. Bonnet folded and Balsano called.

It was a classic race, Balsano with pocket tens and Niciforo with A♥K♠. The 6♠3♥2♦ flop favored Balsano, as did the 7♥ on the turn, but as the K♦ hit the river, Niciforo bellowed "VAMO! VAMO!" as he caught his six-outer. Balsano hit the rail in 22nd place while Niciforo stacked up 420,000 in chips.

12:43pm: Chan passes 500,000Terrence Chan is off to a fast start on Day 3, increasing his stack from 324,000 to more than half a million inside the first half hour. It took a few pots to get there for sure, the key hand unfolding when Chan opened for 16,000 and Carlos Perez called from the big blind. Perez checked the A♦4♣3♥ flop over to Chan, who bet 18,000. Perez called, then checked the 9♥ on the turn. Chan bet 26,000, Perez raised to 70,000 and Chan called. The river was the 5♦ and Perez checked a third time. Chan checked behind, turning over A♣Q♣. Perez's pocket tens were toast and Chan raked in the massive pot, leaving Perez on 164,000 in chips.

12:25pm: Nico Fierro back en fuego?Nico Fierro just doubled up, his A♣A♦ holding all-in pre-flop against Francisco de Belaustegui's K♥J♥. After a rough end to Day 2, Fierro may be back on track.

12:21pm: BLINDS 4,000-8,000-500

12:20pm: Fernando Suaya eliminated It took us just a few minutes into play to lose 24th place finisher Fernando Suaya. He got in K♦J♠ all-in pre-flop against chip leader Francisco de Belaustegui's A♦K♠. The board ran out 6♦8♣[7♦A♣J♦. Suaya earned $8,820.

12:06pm: Cards in the airThanks to our efficient tournament staff, we made an on-time start and cards are in the air. There are 11 minutes and 40 seconds remaining in Level 17.

Your PokerStars Blog reporting team in Rosario in order of cervezas consumed this week: Brad Willis (5), Change100 (4.5)